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What is Feminist Therapy?

This may be a question you ask yourself as you are reading more about me. Please don’t be scared off by the word Feminist…i know it can carry a lot of weight. While i identify as a Feminist, i also believe every one has their own choices and are the experts in our own lives. That means you don’t have to see yourself as a Feminist in order to get support from me, but it does inform my work.

“Feminism is not about making women stronger. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” G.D. Anderson

Feminism is defined in many ways, but for me it’s the view that women are not treated the same as men in our society. As we live in a patriarchal society, men view women as less than equal (in strength, power, intelligence, etc). This also impacts the lives of transgender women and men. My identity as a Feminist also sees that this patriarchal view is wrong and needs to be changed, and that change needs to be active both locally and globally. Further, given the context we live in today, it’s imperative to me to frame my worldview with principles of Feminist-based, intersectional anti-oppression frameworks.

My work as a Feminist Therapist has mainly been as an abuse counsellor for women who have experienced gender-based violence. As a mother to young children, being a Feminist is very important too, so that my children learn how to be respectful and empowered and resilient themselves. It also gives me hope for the future, and guiding my children in the context is paramount to create change.
Feminist Therapy makes links to how women (and moms generally) are being treated in our society, and the internalized pressure we experience to be super moms, to bounce back, to even become mothers, to do it all. It reminds us that we are more than just the mothers that we have become, and that we need to take care of ourselves in order to be resilient and balanced. Other further aspects of Feminist Therapy is to help you gain more tools to empower you, to build on a sense of community with others, and to see that while your narrative is unique to you, your story is also connected to others. As it is client-driven, i will suggest tools and activities that may work for you, but it is your choice to see what fits for you and what won’t work. For instance, I pull tools mainly from mindfulness work and expressive arts-based therapy, as well as some key cognitive-behavioural (CBT) and dialectical behavioural (DBT) therapy tools.

To take this a step further, Feminist Narrative Therapy is a modality that looks at your life stories and how they have shaped you to be the person you are today. I am hear (spelling intentional) to help navigate your experiences, and to bring out what you hold dear – your values, goals, dreams, skills, – and bring them back to your forefront. Narrative Therapy is a tool that helps bring the secondary story to mind and help it unpack further why you may be experiencing things right now. It is also helpful to externalize the problem/challenge, as it will help you delve deeper into helping yourself make your life more full of wellness and balance. Your own your narrative; i am just hear to bear witness to it, and hold space for you in a safe and supportive way.